American College of Endocrinology (ACE) to emphasize emergency planning for people with diabetes at National Hurricane Conference

Organization to share resources from partnership with Lilly Diabetes that stress importance of advance planning for people with diabetes

News provided by

American College of Endocrinology; Eli Lilly and Company

Mar 25, 2013, 08:00 ET

NEW ORLEANS, March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

News Highlights:

@TheAACE attends Hurricane Conference to share planning tips for people w/ #diabetes; prgm w/Lilly Diabetes offering emergency tips since '06
@TheAACE, in partnership with Lilly Diabetes, offers emergency planning tips for people with #diabetes at www.empoweryourhealth.org
Lilly Diabetes and @TheAACE have distributed more than 10 million #diabetes emergency prep checklists since '06 www.empoweryourhealth.org

With the impact of Superstorm Sandy still resonating, the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) will meet for the first time with emergency preparedness officials this week at the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans. ACE will highlight advance planning opportunities for people with diabetes and distribute educational resources created through its partnership with Lilly Diabetes to help people avoid disruptions in care in emergency situations.

Since 2006, ACE has worked with Lilly Diabetes to offer tips through an emergency preparedness program so people can plan their diabetes management in advance of severe storms and other emergencies.

When natural and man-made disasters or weather emergencies strike, millions of people may be left stranded in their homes without power or forced to leave their homes. Being caught unprepared for these types of events can be potentially life-threatening, particularly for people with diabetes who are insulin dependent, and who are much more susceptible to complications when they cannot perform their normal care routine.

After seeing the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Lilly Diabetes and ACE joined forces to create the "My Diabetes Emergency Plan" program, a comprehensive checklist —with supporting video resources—for people with diabetes to use to help prepare for and manage their health during an emergency. Since then, more than 10 million checklists have been distributed throughout the United States. ACE will review these tools with conference participants this week and provide materials on DVD. Campaign resources are also available for free download at www.empoweryourhealth.org.

Recent history offers a clear warning of the need for preparation: 2011 was the deadliest tornado season in 50 years¹, and 2012 saw 19 named hurricanes, an occurrence that has happened only six other times in 162 years of record keeping.² And for 2013, severe storm season has only just begun.

"We are looking forward to sitting down with emergency managers to discuss how our resources for people with diabetes can help support their local populations who may be in severe weather zones or possibly at risk for displacement during an emergency," said Dr. Lawrence Blonde, endocrinologist, member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and fellow of ACE. "Emergencies come in all sizes, but when weather emergencies spring up—particularly with the frequency we've seen lately—it's even more important for people with diabetes to be ready. Their health may depend on it."

The ACE/Lilly Diabetes checklist recommends a number of practical steps to take and items to have available to help ensure a person with diabetes can continue their diabetes management during an emergency. This includes having a portable, insulated and waterproof kit that contains a list of all of the patient's medical conditions, allergies and prior surgeries; a properly stored supply of all medications; blood sugar testing supplies; and contact information for all healthcare providers. Additional items include a source of fast-acting carbohydrates to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia); a supply of bottled water and non-perishable food; and an empty water bottle and/or sharps container to hold used syringes, needles and/or lancets.

"This is a terrific opportunity to learn from those who are on the front lines how we can best disseminate our emergency tips to help people with diabetes take action in advance of a severe situation," said Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, endocrinologist, member of AACE, fellow of ACE, and senior medical adviser, Lilly Diabetes. "It only takes a few minutes to put an emergency kit together, and we will continue working with ACE to help the people with diabetes in this country reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening disruptions in their care by encouraging them to incorporate our tools and resources into their overall diabetes management plans."

The National Hurricane Conference takes place March 25-28 and is conducted annually to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. The group includes emergency planners, public works officials, television/radio meteorologists, nursing home officials and others dedicated to preserving the safety and health of people during severe weather events.

About the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)
The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) is the educational and scientific arm of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). ACE is the leader in advancing the care and prevention of endocrine and metabolic disorders by: Providing professional education and reliable public health information; Recognizing excellence in education, research and service; Promoting clinical research and Defining the future of Clinical Endocrinology. For more information, please visit www.aace.com.

About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when it introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today Lilly works to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes through research and collaboration, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued commitment to providing real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—to make lives better. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers—through medicines and information—for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

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